“How to Use a Knife” at the Phoenix Theatre, Jan. 19-Feb. 12, 2017

Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of How to Use a Knife opening January 19, 2017 on the Frank and Katrina Basile Stage. This production runs through February 12, 2017, with Bryan Fonseca serving as director.

ABOUT THE PLAY

Amidst the chaos of a New York City kitchen, Chef George is trying to turn his life around. As he struggles to stay sober, he must also contend with two spirited Guatemalan line-cooks, a pot-smoking busboy, an eerily quiet African dishwasher, and, of course, the lunch hour. But now immigration authorities are knocking at the door and it becomes apparent to George that his own life isn’t the only one he holds in his hands.

THE DIRECTOR

For 33 years, Bryan Fonseca has served as the Producing Director of the Phoenix Theatre. He previously worked in Indianapolis as the Producing Director of the Broad Ripple Playhouse and the assistant to the Producing Director at the Civic Theatre of Indianapolis. He was a founder and first Artistic Director of The Company Players in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. Bryan has directed for the MFA Playwrights Workshop at the Kennedy Center, The Human Race Theatre, Indiana University, Ball State University, and the Civic Theatre of Indianapolis. Over the years, he has transferred six Phoenix shows to Chicago. Bryan has received an Achievement and Service award from the Indiana Theatre Association, two Artist Fellowship awards from the Indiana State Arts Commission and two Creative Renewal Fellowships from the Arts Council of Indianapolis/Lilly Endowment. He is the first recipient of the Transformational Impact Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis, with the generous funding support of Lilly Endowment Inc. In addition to his work at the Phoenix, he is an adjunct professor at IUPUI and lectures frequently at Butler University and the University of Indianapolis. He has served on the board of the National New Play Network and developed and served as the first president of the League of Indianapolis Theaters.

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Will Snider was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. His play How to Use a Knife will receive a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere this season through Capital Stage (Sacramento, CA), Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis, IN), Unicorn Theatre (Kansas City, MO), and InterAct Theatre (Philadelphia, PA). Other plays include The Big Man (EST’s Marathon of One-Act Plays), Strange Men, and Death of a Driver. His work has been developed at MCC, NNPN National Showcase of New Plays, The Kennedy Center, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Great Plains Theatre Conference, #serials@theflea, the claque, and MAKEHOUSE. He is a member of Youngblood, recipient of an EST/Soan Grant and The Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, and spent three years working in agricultural development in East Africa. He is pursuing an MFA at UCSD under Naomi Iizuka.

THE CAST

How to Use a Knife features Chelsea Anderson as Kim, Ryan Artzberger as George, Josh Castaneda as Miguel, Rob Johansen as Michael, Tommy Lewey as Jack, Carlos Medina Maldonado as Carlos, and Ansley Valentine as Steve.

Chelsea Anderson has worked with Indiana Repertory Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Forward Theater, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Heartland Actors Repertory Theatre, among others. She was most recently seen on the Phoenix stage in One Man, Two Guvnors.

Ryan Artzberger is returning to the Phoenix Theatre after having appeared in This and Reasons to be Pretty. In addition to being a regular at IRT and a company member of HART, Ryan has performed in theaters across the country, including Berkeley Rep, The Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C., The Studio Theatre, The Lookingglass Theatre and The Goodman Theatre. Ryan is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Ohio University.

Rob Johansen will appear in this NNPN Rolling World Premiere directly following his appearance in Dogs of Rwanda. Previously, he was most recently seen at the Phoenix in the NNPN Rolling World Premiere of On Clover Road.

Ansley Valentine’s performance credits include several seasons with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s A Yuletide Celebration as puppet master and “Scrooge.” He recently joined the theatre faculty of Indiana University. His last appearance at The Phoenix Theatre was in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

TICKETS

Tickets for How to Use a Knife are on sale now. Tickets are $27.00 per person on Thursdays and Sundays, $33.00 per person on Fridays and Saturdays, and $20.00 for anyone 21 & under. Tickets for How to Use a Knife may be purchased by calling the box office at 317-635-7529 or visiting phoenixtheatre.org. Curtain times for the production are: Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm.